What the Heck is ‘Moderate or Vigorous’ Physical Activity?
We’re all supposed to get some, so let’s define the terms and understand the thresholds
Advice on the benefits of physical activity invariably invokes the need to achieve a minimum amount of “moderate or vigorous physical activity” on a daily or weekly basis. The formal thresholds — achieved by only 24% of U.S. adults, by the way — offer outsized rewards: better physical and mental health and emotional well-being, improved sleep, more daytime energy, stress reduction, and a chance to live longer.
But what exactly are these thresholds? And what the heck do “moderate” and “vigorous” even mean? Let’s unpack it all. Then at the end of the article, you’ll find a list of suggestions and motivations—ways to get it done.
To achieve the bulk of the benefits offered by physical activity, the latest science says adults should get at least…
- 150 minutes weekly of moderate physical activity. That’s 2–1/2 hours a week, or about 22 minutes a day, but the effort can come in larger amounts on some days, less on others, and sessions as little as a few minutes count toward the total.
- Or 75 minutes weekly of vigorous activity. Or you can do some combination of moderate and vigorous activity.
